Bookrest



Dec. 24, 1929. P. c. HUNTER BOOKREST Filed March 26, 1927 2 Sheets-SheetDec. 24, 1929 P. c. HUNTER BOOKREST Filed March 26, 1927 2 Shees-SheelPatented Deo. 24, 1929 FUN! artnr omer,

BOOKBEST Application led March 26, 1927, Serial No. 178,538, and inGreat Britain January 21, 1927.

rlhis invention relates to improvements in book rests of the typeadapted to be detachably secured to a book and carried along with thebook in a pocket or other receptacle.

In devices of the kind referred to it has been found that the stayconnected to the book-engaging means and which supports the book in theopen position, does not provide a steady and even support. Furthermore,

in some cases the leaves of the book when turned will not lie flat. ltis the object of this invention to remedy these defects by forming thestay in two parts which can be opened and closed with respect to eachother like Compasses and together opened and closed with respect to thebook-engaging means. For the purpose of keeping the leaves down as theyare turned, a strip of iiexible material and a spring clip are employed.

This invention consists of a book rest adapted for attachment to booksof dierent sizes and stated broadly comprises in combinationbook-engaging means, two stays, a

hinge connecting the stays to the book-engag- 5 ing means and a hingeconnecting the stays together. More specifically, the book-engagingmeans consists of an extensible and contractible clamping device and thetwo stays are hinged together to open and fold upon 3@ each other whilethey are both hinged to the clamp to open and fold in unison upon theclamp. rlhe extensible and contractible clamp may take various forms ofconstruction as also may the supporting stays so long as they provide asuitably'wide base. Further features of the invention reside in meansfor limiting the opening movements of the stays with respect to eachother and with re- AO spect to the book-engaging means; a book- 7 markerprovided with a spring clip for holding down the pages of a book andmeans for retaining the several parts in folded relationship. Furtherdetails will transpire in the following description of the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation showing the book restattached to a book.

Figure 2 is a rear elevation showing the 5G stays opened.

Figure 3 is a front elevation showing the stays folded.

Figure 4lis a detail of the book-engaging hooks.

Figure 5 is an enlarged section on line 5 5 of Figure 3.

Figures 6 and 7 are details of the hinge.

Figure 8 is a side elevation of a modification.

Figures 9 and 10 are side and rear elevations of a further modification.

Figures 11 and 12 are rear and side elevations of a further modificationand,

Figure 13 illustrates still another form of construction.

Referring to Figures 1 to 7, the device comprises a book-engagingelement 1, stays 2 and 3 pivotally mounted at l on the flap 5 of a hingeattached to the book-engaging element. rlhis element consists of achannel shaped, strip 6, see Figures 4 and 5, and a flat strip 7arranged to slide therein. At the lower end of the channel strip a tangS is punched out to form a book-engaging hook while the perforatedextremity is turned back in the opposite direction to form a clip 9serving to accommodate the free ends of the stays 2 and 3 when thelatter are folded as shown in Figure 3. r1`he free extremity of strip 7is formed into a spring hook 10. The arrangement of this book-engagingelement is telescopic that is to say eXtensible and contractible to fitbooks of different sizes. In operation strip 7 is extended and hook 8brought into engagement with the lower edge of the front or rear bookcover and the strip 7 is then pushed down in the channel strip 6 untilthe hook 10 clips the upper edge of the book cover. The fit between thesliding parts is advantageously made friction-tight to avoid accidentaldisplacement.

The connection between the stays and the book-engaging element consistsof a hinge formed about the pin 11. For this purpose a tang 12 is formedat the upper end of the channel strip 6 and shaped to embrace the pin11. rl'his tang is cut away to form shoulders 13and 14 which act asstops by engaging corresponding shoulders 15 and 16 formed on the hingeflap 5. This arrangement limits the angular movement of the hinge flap 5and consequently the degree to which the stays 2 and 3 can be spreadaway from the book.

The stays 2 and 3 are hinged on the pin 4 carried by the flap 5 andtheir angular displacement with respect to each other, that is to saythe degree to which they can be spread apart, is limited by tangs 17 and18 formed on the stays 2 and 3 respectively and turned over the edge ofthe flap 5. These tangs come into contact with the extremities 19 and 2Oof the hinge, see Figure 3, when the stays are spread apart about 60 asshown in Figure 4t.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that when thedevice is fitted to a book, the pair of stays pivoted on flap 5 can bespread away from the book to an extent which leaves the book at aconvenient angle for reading. The stays may also be independently spreadaway from each other to a limited extent to extend the supporting baseline and thus increase the stability of the device in use. Moreover,with the stays spread apart the book is supported evenly and will notwobble nor twist when the weight of leaves on either side of the book isgreater than on the other side.

In cases where the leaves of the book owing to the nature of thematerial or the manner of binding will not lie flat when turned over, astrip of flexible material 21 may be attached to the book-engagingelement, for example, to the spring hook 10 as shown in Figures 1 and 2.To the free end of this strip is attached a spring clip 22 which isadapted to be clipped to the edge of the book cover at either side. lnthe position shown in Figure 1, the leaves 23 are held down by the strip21 and as each new leaf is turned it can be readily slipped under thestrip. This arrangement also constitutes a bookmarker.

The invention above described may be carried out in a variety of formssome of which will now be described by way of example.

Referring to Figure 8, a single book-engaging hook member 24 isemployed. The hook is preferably formed as a spring, like hook 10 inFigure 4;, and is pressed down over the edge of the cover 25. rlhe stays26 may be constructed and attached to each other and to the member 24 inthe manner hereinbefore described or alternatively as hereinafterdescribed with reference to Figures 11 and 12. rllhe stays may also bemade adjustable in length by forming them of two telescopic members.

The arrangement shown in Figures 9 and 10 consists of a book-engaginghook 27 having an elongated body portion 28 provided with a series ofperforations 29. The second book-engaging hook 30 is attached to one endof a strip of elastic 31, the other end of which carries a locking hook32 which can be irrsertedv into any of the perforations 29. Thisarrangement permits of the book-engaging element as a whole being ttedto books of different sizes, suflicient tension being put on theelastic-by moving hook 32-to hold the device firmly in place on thebook. The stays are constructed and attached to each other and to theelongated body portion 28 in the manner hereinbefcre described.

The simple form of construction shown in Figures 11 and 12 consists of astrip of thick rubber 33 having a sheet metal hook, 34 and 35respectively, at each end. These hooks are riveted or otherwise attachedto the rubber. Intermediate the hooks, a clip 36is attached to therubber and this clip has two lugs 37 which are drilled to form a journalor bearing for the hinge part lof the stays 38. The stays are integraland consist of a hairpin spring wire, the hinge between the two staysbeing at the bight. Hook 35 is formed as a clip to hold the stays in thefolded position when pressed together and sprung into the clip. Therubber being extensible and contractible can be stretched to fit thedevice to different sizes of books.

The telescopic form shown in Figure 13 consists of two tubes or a tubeand rod designated 39 and fr0 respectively each having a book-engaginghook at the free extremity. The fit between the parts may befrictiontight or a locking screw l1 may be provided to hold the parts inany predetermined adjusted position. In this ease the stays arepreferably formed and attached to one of the telescoping members, in themanner described with reference to Figures 11 and 12. Alternatively, thestays may be formed of sheet metal and attached in the manner describedwith reference to Figures 1 to 7.

The flexible strip 21 and clip 22 of Figure 1 may be used in combinationwith any of the embodiments shown and described with reference to Figure8 et seq.

' l claim v 1. A book rest comprising in combination a tube and a rodconstituting an extensible and contractible clamp, a book-engaging hookat the free extremity ofthe tube, a book-engaging hook at the freeextremity of the rod, a hinge member connected to one element ofsaidclamp, two stays formed by a hairpin spring journalled at the bight insaid hinge member and a clip on one element of said clamp for retainingthe parts in folded relationship.

2. A book rest comprising in combination a book-engaging hook having anelongated body portion, perforations in said body portion, an elasticstrip, a second book-engaging hook connected to one end of said strip, alocking hook connected to the other end of said strip to engage in saidperforations, a hinge mounted on said elongated body portion and twostays pivotally mounted in one member of said hinge.

3. A book rest comprising in combination an eXtensible and contraetibleclamp, bookengaging means Connected to each end of said clamp, twostays, a compound hinge connecting the stays to the clamp whereby bothstays may be moved relatively to said clamp and relatively to each otherindependently of said clamp, means for limiting the movement of thestays relatively to said Clamp and means for limiting the movement ofsaid stays relatively to each other.

4. An attachment for books constituting a collapsible book rest andcomprising in oombination a clamp adapted to be attached to books ofdiiierent sizes, two stays hinged to the clamp, a hinge between thestays, means for limiting` the relative movement between the stays andthe Clamp7 means for limiting the relative movement between the staysand means for retaining the several parts in collapsed relationship.

5. An attachment for books comprising the elements set forth in claim 4fin combination with a flexible bookmarker and a book-engaging springclip attached to the free extremity or" said book-marker.

6. A folding book rest comprising in oornbination a book-engaging clamp,two stays, a hinge whereby said stays may be opened and foldedrelatively to each other, a hinge whereby said stays may be opened andfolded in unison relatively to said clamp7 means for limiting theopening movement or" the several parts in the booksupporting conditionand means for retaining the several parts in the folded position on thebook.

PHILIP CARLETON HUNTER.

